[The OP]

Following on from the World XI - what would you put as the best XI you have actually watched play the game? I'm putting down the best XI overall, rather than based on their performances in the respective game/games - otherwise guys like Giuly, Dugarry and Trezeguet would probably get in, but Iniesta and Keane definitely would not. Unfortunately I've missed a fair few Champions League games against top teams through working backshift for a period when we were playing against more recent Barca, Milan and Man Utd teams, and unfortunately Cafu was an unused sub for Milan back in 04.

--------------------------------------Oliver Kahn----------------------------------

------------------Roberto Ayala------------Alessandro Nesta---------------

Carles Puyol------------------------------------ -----------------Paolo Maldini

--------------------------- Xavi--------------------Roy Keane---------------------

Ronaldinho------------------------------- -------------------------Andres Iniesta

-------------------Samuel Eto'o------------------Kaka---------- -------------------

Shame Larsson had to miss out. Some other excellent players had to miss out too, making it look like I haven't been to that many games

Be interesting to see what sort of divergent teams this bring up.

This post has been edited by The OP: 24 January 2012 - 10:16

[mattydfc]

The Barca team that played Dundee United in a friendly the other year. Messi in particular just made the defenders look like they weren't there. Although I think Kenneth played so that might have something to do with it.

[IainMorton]

Iker Casillas

Sergio Ramos - Carlos Puyol - Gerard Pique - Eric Abidal

David Beckham - Xavi - Anders Iniesta

David Silva

Lionel Messi - David Villa

Eleven players taken from three games - Scotland v England in 1999, Rangers v Barcelona in 2007 and Scotland v Spain in 2010.

Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Xabi Alonso would be on the bench!

This post has been edited by IainMorton: 23 January 2012 - 21:54

[T_S_A_R]

van der saar
reuter stam sammer van bronckhurst
van der vart ballack davids rijaarkd
moeller bergkamp

taken from motherwell vs dortmund, scotland - holland in 94 and 03 and germany in 03.

[SodjesSixteenIncher]

11 from 4 games: Man United v Chelsea, Barca v Celta Vigo, Scotland v France and Italy.



Buffon


Puyol Cannavarro Abidal A.Cole

Pirlo

Iniesta Scholes

Messi Eto'o C.Ronaldo



The best player in those actual games was Eto'o. Unbelievably brilliant player to watch from the stand.

This post has been edited by SodjesSixteenIncher: 23 January 2012 - 22:02

[forehead7]

That's what I did for the other thread...

forehead7, on 22 January 2012 - 03:43, said:

Just doing the one's I've seen in the flesh.
GordonHutton (Wes) Brown Van BronkhorstB.Laudrup Sneijder Nedved RobbenBergkamp Henry Van Persie
The defense is shakey as f**k but my team would score more goals than the opposition, no game would lack entertainment. The big games that I've taken those players from are Holland(Weir's mistake), Czech Republic(Euro 2000 qualifying), Clyde vs Man U(2009 or 2010 friendly), Arsenal vs West Brom on Dennis Bergkamp Day(or whatever it was called). Laudrup played for Clyde in a friendly against Rangers a couple of seasons ago. Of all those big sides, all of their defenses were pretty pish in those games I saw.

[The OP]

forehead7, on 23 January 2012 - 22:10, said:

That's what I did for the other thread...

You were my inspiration for this highly original thread forehead.

And yes, I'm aware of just how gay "You were my inspiration" sounds.

Since everyone else is mentioning the games involved mine are from Celtic v Bayern (2003), Celtic v Valencia (2001), Celtic v AC Milan (2004), Celtic v Barcelona (Two games in 2004) and Roy Keane from various games when he played for Celtic.

Seriously toyed with putting Del Piero from the Juve game in 2001 into the XI, but couldn't bring myself to drop any one of Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Iniesta or Kaka for him. RvP is another striker who is in contention too, but not quite competing with the Eto'os and Kakas of this world just yet.

[Latino Lover]

Buffon

Cafu
Nesta
Puyol
Maldini

Keane
Ronaldo
Zidane
Figo

Shearer
Henry

[forehead7]

The OP, on 23 January 2012 - 22:37, said:

You were my inspiration for this highly original thread forehead.

And yes, I'm aware of just how gay "You were my inspiration" sounds.

Don't be, I have been called a muse many a time.

[Deano1874]

IainMorton, on 23 January 2012 - 21:51, said:

Iker Casillas

Sergio Ramos - Carlos Puyol - Gerard Pique - Eric Abidal

David Beckham - Xavi - Anders Iniesta Michael Tidser

David Silva

Lionel Messi - David Villa

Eleven players taken from three games - Scotland v England in 1999, Rangers v Barcelona in 2007 and Scotland v Spain in 2010.

Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Xabi Alonso would be on the bench!

[The OP]

forehead7, on 23 January 2012 - 23:03, said:

Don't be, I have been called a muse many a time.

That's a funny way of spelling moose

[Colin M]

Buffon

Cafu Puyol Pique Maldini

Iniesta Xavi Zidane

Messi Shevchenko Ronaldinho


Largely from various Barcelona games, one v Milan, the Champions League final at Hampden in 2002 and Scotland v Italy. I would struggle to choose up front between Shevchenko and Eto'o, Eto'o has been amazing in games I've seen but trying to mix it up a bit. Midfield also lacks a ball winner, but let's face it, the other team would never have the ball anyway.

[TartanArmani]

1.Goram

2. Stevens
3. Numan
5. Gough
4. Butcher

7. Kanchelskis
11. Laudrup
8. Gascoigne
6. Ferguson

9. McCoist
10. Mols

This post has been edited by TartanArmani: 24 January 2012 - 10:14

[deadasdillinger]

----------------------------------Casillas- ------------------------------------

Alves ------------Puyol------------------------ Pique-------------Maldini

----------------Sneijder-----------Xavi-- --------Iniesta---------------------

----------------Villa----------Van Persie---------Henry--------------------

[Larbert_Par]

Buffon

Ramos
Nesta
Cannavaro
Abidal

Xavi
Scholes
Iniesta

Villa
Van Persie
Henry

All from Scotland games.

[forehead7]

The OP, on 24 January 2012 - 08:32, said:

That's a funny way of spelling moose

You steal a man's idea and then you insult his literacy, the dude does not abide by this.

[Paulo Sergio]

Barca/Arsenal Invincibles/Spurs this season.

[McKee]

Has anyone seen Emile Heskey score in the flesh?

I have.

[Sweet Pete]

Dumbarton FC on any Saturday. Sexy football.

[The OP]

McKee, on 24 January 2012 - 21:29, said:

Has anyone seen Emile Heskey score in the flesh?

I have.

Yes, actually

Celtic 1-1 Liverpool - Larsson for Celtic, Heskey for Liverpool. He didn't score in the return leg as I recall though

[Dazzle]

Casillas
Ramos
Pique
Puyol
Evra
Xavi 
Iniesta
Silva
Ronaldinho
Messi
Van Persie

[The OP]

It seems like you've got a bit of a headstart if you've seen Barca or Spain in recent years.